BIGKIS-UPM

In celebration of the world Environment Day last June 5, USC Councilor Madison Dominguez of the the University Student Council – University of the Philippines Manila, in partnership with UP One Earth and the Past Pupils’ Association of Mary Help of Christians School Pampanga, launched the KKK Project entitled “Arte Aeta.”

“Arte Aeta” is an eco-seminar and art workshop given to the indigenous people of Sitio Monicayo, Mabalacat, Pampanga. The event was held in the Maganday Nobokah Aeta School which is the native translation for “bright future for the Aetas”. Indeed, the event has given the Aeta children a “brighter future” by increasing their knowledge about their environment and by honing their artistic skills.

Moreover, as the opening event for the KKK Project (Kwadernong maka-Kalikasan para sa Kabataan), the event embodies our role as Iskolar para Bayan which is to help our fellow students. The KKK Project aims to make artistically-made and recycled notebooks from used posters and papers to be given to less fortunate students. The USC believes that this project will continue to touch more lives and to uplift more hopes.

Made with Honor, Marked by Excellence

Iskolar para sa kalikasan
para sa IPs, para sa kabataan

Iskolar para sa Bayan!

For Pictures of Arte Aeta please click this LINK.

My warmest and heartfelt greetings to our new scholars who will be joining us in our goal to contribute in building this academic edifice.

I definitely know how entering college can make all your butterflies flutter in your stomach. But don’t you worry, we all went through that. In time, you will be able to get over it. Why? Because truly it is an honor to be studying in the prestigious UP Manila.

I am sure some of you have already asked yourselves why you were among the few chosen to be an Iskolar para sa Bayan.

My dear fellow scholars, it is because there is something special in you–the potential and the ability to be great and to be the future leaders and heroes of this country. Also, it is because of your youthful enthusiasm and your faith that you can make a difference and change the world.

This is the right time to start building a strong foundation for your dreams. The journey and experience will surely be challenging and definitely life-changing.

Again, welcome freshies! God Bless us all!

ZAZZA SIMBULAN (USC Councilor for the Culture and Arts Committee AY)

Welcome Freshies!

I can vividly remember my first day in UP. I was sweating profusely and was so nervous and scared of what might happen. But bear in mind that this is just a phase you have to go through for a brighter future that hopefully you will then share to the Filipinos.

Smile and be proud, Iskolar para sa Bayan. Heads up! Here’s hoping that you make good and valuable memories from our University.

Mabuhay mga bagong Iskolar para sa Bayan!

KAT ORTIGUERRA (USC Councilor for the Ways and Means Committee)

Mga bagong Iskolar ng Bayan!!!
Tuloy kayo sa ating tahanan
Health Sciences Center, UP Manila.

Nawa’y maging kaaya-aya
inyong bawat munting karanasan
sa ating dakilang pamantasan,

Nandito kami, ang inyong pamilya
Sa pag-abot ng inyong mga tala
Aming paggabay ay laging handa

Ito’y pagkakataong pinagpala
‘Wag ligtaing magsalamat-biyaya
Maging Iskolar PARA sa bayan

MADISON DOMINGUEZ (USC Councilor for the Health and Environment Committee)

MALIGAYANG PAGDATING MGA BAGONG ISKOLAR PARA SA BAYAN!

Mabuhay, mga bagong Iskolar para sa Bayan ng UP Manila!

First, in behalf of Bigkis ng mga Iskolar para sa Bayan Tungo sa Makabuluhang Pagbabago (Bigkis UPM), I congratulate you for making it to the UP campus with the highest cut-off grade- with this, comes the highest standards of education and the highest expectations from its students. It is therefore given that we strive for academic excellence. I also welcome back the upperclass after two months of a well deserved vacation.

More than this, we at Bigkis-UPM, aim to lead UP Manila students in becoming holistic scholars.  It is easy to develop intelligence but it is difficult to mold character. As holistic scholars, let us be part of our society’s progress, not our society’s problems. Let us respect and help our government rather than bash every President elected. Let us change our reputation of being noisy activists. Let us inspire others rather than conspire with each other.

People say, politics in UP is a microcosm of politics in our country. At some points, one can’t help but agree; however, at other points, I’d like to disagree. And I’d continue to disagree until the negative connotation on the term politics would be removed. In four, five, six or seven years time (depending on your course), you will graduate, take the boards and be recognized as a professional. Don’t stop there. Prove to our fellow countrymen that they didn’t invest their money on us for nothing. Aspire to be leaders of your own communities or expertise. Never think linearly, never think for yourself alone; for it is also to your disadvantage. Rather, think comprehensively and think of others; think of how you could help everyone for it is only then that you truly help yourself. Aspire to be politicians- there is nothing wrong with this. Aspire to be one until the term politicians would not remind us of corruption, but of good governance. This is the best that we could do for our motherland that raised us. She expects a lot from us and believes in us, the ISKOLARS PARA SA BAYAN. So why doubt ourselves?

Our path in becoming Iskolars para sa Bayan starts with our education and experiences in UP Manila- from the subjects we take, the teachers we get to the friends we choose. I invite you to be a part of Bigkis-UPM where we practice progressive multi-perspective activism in addressing national and local issues. When I was still a Freshman like you, I had friends first from different political groups but my instincts were not convinced into joining them. I felt that some things were just wrong. On the other hand, I heard rumors that members of Bigkis-UPM are elitista. At that time too, I had a negative impression on politics so I did not become interested in joining any party. After joining various advocacy organizations in campus, I got to know more student leaders from Bigkis-UPM. These are people I knew who are willing to serve even without positions, people who are for service alone- not for honor, glory, and whatsoever benefits. So, I got inspired and decided to join Bigkis-UPM. From knowing them better, I realized they may just have been branded by others as elitista because of their neat appearance but I credit this to good grooming which reflects much about a person’s character and how he deals with the people around him. Other than that, there are no other signs that I see why they have been branded as elitists. Not all members of Bigkis-UPM are rich. Even if they are well-off they still do not forget to share whatever blessings they have. In fact, my heart melted when together, we helped a member pay his tuition fee by raising P15,000 in one week. After that, there was not even a single word of self-praise did I hear from any Bigkis member.

When I ran for office in the University Student Council (USC) as a Councilor, it is only then that I realized the importance of a party when running for office. The projects that I wanted to implement were not only for my one year term. And it was with this that one of the roles of a party enters: continuity. An official may only carry out his plans during his term but a party would continue realizing his vision with its next candidates- becoming a great manifestation of unity. True to this, Bigkis-UPM was instrumental to the continuity of successful & high-impact projects such as the largest-participated Alternative Classroom Learning Experience (ACLE), the most successful UPM Fair, the comprehensive League of College Councils, the widely-implemented Zero Styro policy and many more.

We hope to continue these projects and start new ones too especially for this school year where we aim to promote UP Manila not just as another UP campus but as the premiere health sciences center of our country. Help us help you! Be part of Bigkis-UPM and even the USC Volunteer Corps. In three or four years’ time, some of you will undoubtedly become USC Councilors and one of you would become the USC Chairperson. It would be such pride & happiness if they would be from Bigkis-UPM.

Once again, to the Freshies, welcome to UP Manila! To the returning students, welcome back!

From Iskolars ng Bayan, may you become Iskolars para sa Bayan!

Angeli “Gel” Guadalupe
Chairperson
University Student Council 2011-2012

*An Intarmed student, Gel Guadalupe co-founded with Renzo Guinto (former USC Chairperson & member of Bigkis) the only environmental & largest organization in UP Manila- UP One Earth. In 2009, she became one of the Bayer-UNEP Young Environmental Envoys. She previously served as the USC Councilor for Environment and spearheaded projects most notably the first-ever Health and Environment Week of the USC 2010-2011 and implemented the “Zero Styro” university policy. Now, she is one of the nation’s 100 Ateneo School of Government- World Bank Youth Leaders for Knowledge & Development. Recently, she was selected to be one of the country’s five delegates to the Study of the U.S. Institutes (SUSI) for Student Leaders on Global Environmental Issues- an opportunity she had to give up in order for her to be in the country before the schoolyear starts and serve her fellow students as their USC Chairperson.

Welcome Iskolars!

I would like to congratulate you first for passing the comprehensive UP College Admission Test, considered to be the most competitive college entrance exam in the country with a 10% acceptance rate. The UPCAT was a no joke and I commend each and every one of you for hurdling this endeavor.

We all know that our great university is funded by the taxes of our fellow countrymen. Thus each one of us is commonly called Iskolars ng Bayan. But let me ask you something. Will we be just passive recipients of people’s tax? Are we just going to sit inside the classroom, waiting for the bacon that the country will feed us?

National Service

Here in BIGKIS-UPM we believe that only through us Iskolars can we help our country prosper. We believe that, as the cream of the crop, the best of the best we should help and serve our country in any way we could. Through this, we can not only give back the efforts our country has done for us to learn but also help the nation counter every crises, trials or problems to come. BIGKIS-UPM is built with a core value of National Service. That is why we believe that as Iskolars, we must stop acting as passive recipients and give service to our thriving nation.

Academic Excellence

How can we help our nation? Some people believe that we can only help the country if we graduate with a degree and start earning. BIGKIS-UPM thinks otherwise. As students funded by the taxes, the first and best way we could do is to do well in our studies. Thus, Academic Excellence ensures that the money used for the university is not wasted and will soon produce quality professionals ready to serve the country. Then again, UP students are well known to be academically excellent students.

Genuine Leadership

BIGKIS-UPM believes that we do stop in just performing greatly inside the classrooms. Our great university is geared towards developing not only the best professionals but leaders in different fields as well. May it be political or not, our university envisioned itself to not only help the nation but also produce individuals who will lead the way towards prosperity. That is why in BIGKIS-UPM, we train leaders who will hold office for service and Genuine Leadership – not for one’s honors or glory – but for his or her fellow students, the university and the country.  To mention a few, we have student council leaders in the University Student Council such as the Chairperson and councilors as well as in the local councils on the College of Allied Medical Professions, College of Public Health, College of Nursing and the whole of the elected positions of the College of Medicine Student Council which I lead as the Chairperson.

The BIG(kis) Challenge

This year, the Return Service Agreement (RSA) will be implemented among the health science courses in UP Manila. As a member of the batch with the first implemented RSA in the College of Medicine, I challenge those covered by the RSA to look at it as an opportunity to serve the country. An opportunity to stop being a passive recipient, to stop being an Iskolar ng Bayan and instead become an ISKOLAR PARA SA BAYAN.

I also challenge the courses not covered by the RSA. Do not be afraid to step up and you yourself initiate an action to serve the country. May it be small step or a giant leap, an initiative to serve can send giant ripples of blessings in the improvement of the nation.

Lastly, I invite you to join BIGKIS-UPM to help mold you with the core values of National Service, Academic Excellence and Genuine Leadership and transform you from an Iskolar ng Bayan to an Iskolar para sa Bayan.

Again, with pride, I welcome the freshmen of 2011, the true ISKOLARS PARA SA BAYAN!

Mabuhay ang BIGKIS-UPM. Mabuhay ang UP Manila.

Mabuhay ang Iskolar para sa Bayan!

JASON V. ALACAPA
President, 2011-Present
BIGKIS-UPM

*Graduating Cum Laude from UP College of Nursing, Jason V. Alacapa is an incoming Level Unit 5 College of Medicine student and is  currently the BIGKIS-UPM President and the Chairperson of the Medicine Student Council. He previously served as the MSC’s Secretary-General.